Gourmet coffee shops typically sell individual cups of coffee for consumption on or off the premises. Typically, these shops are very small and utilize high-quality coffee beans and coffee-making equipment to provide consumers with a higher quality cup of coffee than would be available in other establishments. In this regard, many gourmet coffee shops have developed internal procedures particularly adapted to ensure a uniformly high-quality cup of coffee. Particularly at peak periods, these shops must dispense coffee to a relatively large group of consumers in a short amount of time. Typically, the worker holds the coffee cup below the spout and utilizes the other hand to actuate the spout until the worker sees that the coffee cup is nearly full.
Consumers accustomed to the high-quality of coffee available from such gourmet coffee shops have come to desire this high level of quality at other locations, such as offices or meeting places. Gourmet coffee shops have met this need by providing thermos canisters which are loaned out and then returned by the consumer. These canisters are often elongate, cylindrical thermoses having a pump button in the top, which dispenses coffee from a nozzle. Unfortunately, the inconvenience of needing to return the canister and the typical requirement that a deposit be left deters consumers from purchasing larger quantities of coffee. These canisters also have several drawbacks for the coffee shop. Specifically, they are relatively large and difficult to store, are breakable and require careful cleaning after use.
Applicant's invention is an improved liquid container particularly adapted to store and insulate multiple cups of fluid. The invention includes numerous aspects. Advantageously, the preferred container is particularly adapted to be stored in a flattened state, while at the same time being quickly and easily deployable. Importantly, the container can desirably be filled with existing equipment utilizing the existing procedures utilized in most coffee shops. The container is also desirably particularly adapted to be easily carried and poured. Advantageously, the structure of the container reduces the likelihood that the container will tip over during transport and incorporates safety features which reduce the risk of injury to the user from hot coffee. Importantly, the container is also structured to reduce the risk of damage to furniture resulting from the temperature of the fluid in the container. Because the container is particularly adapted to be made of very inexpensive materials, the container need not be returned nor cleaned.
One aspect of the invention is a container including an outer shell, a flexible bag within the outer shell, a mouth and a handle. The outer shell has a top, a bottom and sidewalls. The outer shell also defines an opening. The flexible bag within the outer shell defines an aperture. The mouth is secured to the flexible bag surrounding the aperture and defines a fluid passageway. The mouth is sized and shaped such that fluid can be poured through the mouth from a source having an outlet spaced above the mouth. The handle extends outward from the top of the outer shell and has sufficient strength to provide essentially all support for the container when the bag is filled with liquid in either of two positions, with the first position being where the opening is facing upwards and the second position being where opening is facing sidewards.
Desirably, the mouth and opening are sized and shaped such that when the opening is facing upwards the human eye can detect when a level of fluid in the container is approaching the mouth. Advantageously, the mouth defines an aperture having a span of at least one inch.
In another aspect, the outer shell has a lower panel upon which the bag rests when it is filled with liquid which is spaced at least one- quarter and, preferably, one-half inch above bottom of the outer shell.
In another aspect, the bag and the outer shell are sized and shaped such that when the bag is substantially full of liquid, the center of gravity of the container is located at least one-half inch and, preferably, at least one inch, below the vertical center of the container.
Yet another aspect of the invention is a foldable liquid container, including an outer shell and a bag within the outer shell which defines an aperture. The outer shell comprises a first pair of sidewalls aligned generally in the same plane as one another and a second pair of sidewalls aligned generally in the same plane as one another. The outer shell further includes a plurality of upper end flaps secured to the first pair of sidewalls and the second pair of sidewalls. Desirably, at least one of the upper end flaps forms at least a portion of a handle when the container is folded and a plurality of lower end flaps secured to the first pair of sidewalls and the second pair of sidewalls. The outer shell also defines an opening in one of the pairs of sidewalls. The mouth is secured to the flexible bag surrounding the aperture and defines a fluid passageway. The mouth is sized and shaped such that fluid can be poured through the mouth from a source having an outlet spaced above the mouth.
Another aspect of the invention is a liquid container including an outer shell having a top and a bottom, the outer shell having an opening on a side of the container, a flexible bag within the outer shell, a mouth secured to the flexible bag surrounding the aperture and defining a fluid passageway and a handle extending from the top of the outer shell, the bag sized and shaped such that when the bag is filled with a fluid to a first level proximate the mouth when the mouth is facing upwards and the container is rotated to rest on the bottom, the fluid assumes a second level below the mouth. Desirably, the bag and the outer shell are sized and shaped such that when the bag is substantially full of liquid, the center of gravity of the container is located at least one inch below the center of the container.
Desirably, the bag is sized smaller than the outer shell so that when the container is rotated after filling to have the handle facing upwards and the spout facing the side, the bag sags downward within the outer shell, setting the level of fluid in the bag below the bottom of the spout. By ensuring that the level of fluid is below the spout, the present invention prevents accidental spillage of hot fluid during transport or handling of the container. Advantageously, the top side of the container ramps upward in an incline from the back side panel to the front side panel with the opening for the spout. Such a design facilitates dispensing fluid from the container when a user grips the handle and rotates the container forward to raise the level of the fluid to the spout. Other aspects of the invention include an improved liquid container for chilling fluid and an improved liquid container for storing and mixing dried a flavor crystals with liquid.
An advantage of the present invention is that it can be stored flat and stacked in piles, thereby conserving large amounts of space in stores that sell coffee to go. Further, the container can be quickly folded together by using the fold-over flaps to assemble the top and bottom sides of the cardboard container.
Another aspect of the invention is a method of using a collapsed liquid container including (1) folding the container so that the container defines a top from which a handle extends, a bottom and a mouth defining a fluid flow path communicating with an interior of the container through a sidewall; (2) placing the container in a first position with the sidewall facing upward; (3) pouring fluid through the mouth into the container to at least partially fill the container with fluid; (4) sealing the mouth after the pouring of fluid into the container; and (5) manually grasping the handle to move the container after the sealing.
In its preferred embodiment, the present invention overcomes a variety of key problems in the prior art since it provides an easily deployable, inexpensive yet safe means for carrying, insulating, storing and dispensing hot fluids which conserves storage space and can be disposed of after use.